Insights for Organization Developers and Consultants
A Story of Six Physicians
Six physicians stand by the bedside of a patient who has just died of cholera. Each one seeks to determine the true cause of death.
The first says: “The infection was caused by the cholera bacillus.”
The second replies: “The real issue was a weakened immune system. Many in the patient’s environment were exposed but either didn’t get sick or recovered.”
The third sees the cause in unresolved emotional turmoil: “This was a person who couldn’t reconcile with their negative feelings, which undermined their emotional balance and, in turn, their immunity.”
The fourth offers a different perspective: “It wasn’t the emotions themselves, but the lack of inner courage to engage with them. Negative feelings like envy, hatred, fear, and jealousy can be catalysts for development when consciously transformed. This capacity for transformation actually stimulates our deeper vitality.”
The fifth physician sees divine purpose: “There is a higher wisdom at work. Each person has an appointed time. The patient’s time had simply come.”
And finally, the sixth physician—who follows the perspective of Paracelsus—says: “Just as there are five ways illness can arise, there are five pathways toward healing. A physician must learn to recognize and work with them all.”
Introduction
The approach described in this article is closely aligned with the values and work of the Future Weavers—a community dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations through a whole human perspective. By embracing all dimensions of human experience, Future Weavers contribute to a more conscious and regenerative future. Their practice exemplifies how this kind of integral view can be applied in real-world organizational contexts.
In the field of organizational development, methodologies abound. Yet few offer the kind of integrative and deeply human-centric orientation found in certain holistic approaches. Rooted in a view of the human being as multidimensional and purpose-driven, this perspective introduces not merely new content, but a fundamentally different way of seeing. This article unpacks the unique qualities of such a developmental methodology and explores its relevance and application for organization developers, coaches, and consultants seeking to foster transformation from the inside out.
1. Approach, Not a Doctrine
One of the most striking aspects of this approach is that it is not primarily a set of beliefs or fixed content, but a methodology of perception. It invites the practitioner to observe the human being, social systems, and developmental processes from a broader, often deeper, perspective. This shift in perception can be applied across disciplines—including medicine, education, agriculture, and, importantly, organizational work.
2. Seeing the Human as a Meaning-Making Being
At the heart of this method is the view of the human being as more than a mechanistic system. This orientation has tangible consequences for how we design processes, understand conflict, engage in leadership, and support development. The idea that each thought carries formative, even evolutionary power radically reframes what it means to “develop” an organization. Thinking becomes an instrument of transformation.
3. Healing Through Understanding: The Fivefold Human Constitution
This methodology distinguishes five layers of human experience, each relevant in the context of organizational development:
- Physical Level: As in medicine, organizational “symptoms” may originate in infrastructure, structure, or systemic imbalances.
- Vital (Life) Level: This dimension pertains to rhythms, routines, and developmental processes. Are there healthy cycles at work? Are people and projects growing over time?
- Emotional (Relational) Level: This concerns emotional life, relationships, culture, and meaning-making. The presence or absence of trust, joy, or fear reflects the emotional well-being of a system.
- Selfhood Level: This involves identity, autonomy, and conscious will. Leadership development, authentic decision-making, and self-reflection belong here.
- Purpose Level: The deepest layer, addressing the existential orientation of a person or organization. What deeper purpose animates the work? What vision and values guide it?
This holistic view allows consultants to diagnose and support transformation across all five levels, enabling greater depth and effectiveness than many conventional models.
4. Self-Responsibility and Development as Core Principles
This methodology assumes that individuals are not simply shaped by external circumstances but are co-creators of their own development. In organizations, this fosters self-awareness, inner growth, and self-leadership as foundations for cultural change. Consultants are encouraged not to deliver ready-made solutions but to accompany people and systems in awakening responsibility and agency.
5. Biographical Perspective
Another powerful lens is the biographical one. Instead of treating human development as merely linear or age-based, this approach considers developmental rhythms and archetypal life phases. When applied to organizations, it helps identify where a team, initiative, or company stands in its broader lifecycle. Crises can then be reframed as meaningful thresholds—opportunities for renewal and growth.
6. A Culture of Understanding
True transformation begins with understanding. In practice, this means creating space for deep listening, making the invisible visible, and engaging in honest and generative dialogue. The consultant’s role shifts from fixer to witness and facilitator—someone1 who helps clarify, integrate, and illuminate.
7. The Circle Way
The era of solitary leadership and one-man shows is coming to an end. The future belongs to communities and teams that cultivate shared responsibility, collective intelligence, and co-creative action. The Circle Way represents a shift from hierarchical control to participatory leadership, where every voice matters, and decisions emerge from a space of mutual listening, trust, and accountability. It is a path that transforms not only the way we lead but the way we relate to one another as human beings.
Conclusion: by Man, with Man, for Man
Ultimately, what sets this approach apart is not a specific technique but a way of being—a quality of presence. The consultant is not outside or above the system, but walks alongside it with humility, reverence, curiosity, and care. For those seeking not just surface-level change but lasting transformation, this approach offers no shortcuts—only a meaningful, human path forward.